[jeffnc]

As you get into hi-fi, you realize what really is important and what isn't. Some spend unreal sums on "extreme point of diminishing returns" or even pure snake oil, such as $3,000 power cords, Shakti stones, green magic markers for CD edges, and such. But then they set up their $50,000 system in some crappy audio space and with components that don't complement each other.

The attributes of the room your stereo goes in is huge. And it might not cost anything at all. Simply by moving your stereo from one room to another could result in huge improvements. Most people don't realize that you don't listen to your stereo, you listen to sound waves. And the physical properties of the room your stereo is in has a huge effect on the sound waves that reach your ears.

Another example would be turntable setup. You can buy a $2,000 cartridge, but if the thing isn't aligned and installed optimally, the sound might suck. Again, that is free. You could very easily get better sound from a $200 cartridge than a $3,000 one, and never have a clue why.

When people start thinking in terms of physics rather than magic, they'll do better.

Personally, I'm convinced that satellite/sub combos have a better chance at providing the best bass response. You open up new problems like introduction of new crossovers, cables and amps. But being able to have flexibility in the location and settings for just the deep woofer is a big advantage for most setups.

Another problem some people have is only understanding part of the picture. Different technologies usually have different strengths and weaknesses. If you simply buy a particular component because "it's the best", it might be the exact opposite of what your system really needs. Also, just because some audio magazine or some audio snob says such-and-such is very important, it might not be important to you. You have to listen to music and decide what's really important to you. You don't want a tube amp if the strengths and weaknesses don't fit your personal preferences.

Having said that, the customer (you, in this case) is not always right. That is, just because you think you like your sound a certain way, you might think that out of ignorance. If you don't like much low bass response, then it's not worth paying for it. However if you think you don't like low bass response as a knee-jerk reaction to the goofball with the jacked up car playing rap music way too loud at your local stoplight, then you are doing yourself a disservice by not going out to a quality hi-fi store and listening to what true lifelike low bass extension really is.

You might find that midrange timbre and lack of treble grain is so important to you that you can live without deep bass if that's what you have to give up. Then you might live with a very low power tube amp. On the other hand the reverse might be true. If you find the bottom octave of music is important to giving you a lifelike presentation (or even an artificial presentation that you simply enjoy more), then you might go with some different setup.